


Gears of Midgard

by DR_Super_K_Lock



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: (what is their ship name? is that good? tell me if i missed the official one pleasing and thanking), BTT-Before Time Travel, Canon Divergence, Jötnar | Jotuns | Frost Giants (Norse Religion & Lore), M/M, Multi, Rating may go up, Time Travel, add tags as I update, endgame StrangeIronFrost, eventually, let me tell the rest of the story first, like so slow, like they don't even all meet each other until the end of part one, please enjoy and trust me, prologue chapters, slow-burn, thanos being a crazy psychotic giant purple unwanted father-figure, this is gonna be long, we shall see
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:07:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22136782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DR_Super_K_Lock/pseuds/DR_Super_K_Lock
Summary: There is war brewing between all the realms. A war that Midgard is gravely unprepared to be a part of. It starts with portals that have no business being where they are and then escalates to attacks on the realms from evil, dark forces that want nothing more that destruction. Midgard is not the first one to be hit, but it is one of the realms that suffers grave consequences from the first massacres. With this new threat come upon them, Midgard pools it's greatest minds together and comes up with new weapons to help defend their world. Gears are specially-genetically made soldiers/citizens that were specifically made to take on this new threat that is gradually wiping out the entire human race. With this new addition, they hope to win their war and bring peace back.
Relationships: Fandral & Hogun & Sif & Thor & Volstagg, Loki & Thor (Marvel), Loki/Tony Stark, Loki/Tony Stark/Stephen Strange, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Comments: 6
Kudos: 23





	1. Johtenheim Born I

**Author's Note:**

  * For [IBegToDreamAndDiffer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/IBegToDreamAndDiffer/gifts).



> Okay, this is going to be a long one.  
> The first chapters, about 10-12, will be the prologue chapters, just the story telling about how it started and how it led up to where I wanted to start telling the story(seriously, I wrote like 5000 words and then my brain went, wait tell everything else too! and I was like, okay!).  
> I have been stewing over this whole fic idea since 2017, maybe even a little before. 2017 is just when I sat down and spend some time actually outlining the chapter outlines.  
> This is going to be primarily m/m pairings, looking to be endgame, Loki/Tony Stark/Stephen Strange.  
> (Used to be endgame Stony, but then, you know, stuff happened and my brain went, haha-no. Although, depending on how my writing turns, there might be a temporary relationship between them for a while, it just won't be endgame. They will be friends though, because Found Family is my trope for life)  
> I hope you enjoy the first chapter of this(going-to-be-long-ass) fic and you stick with me through the entire long-ass journey it is definitely going to be, lol  
> Happy Reading!

It was easy to overlook, something that an average person could pass off as just a trick of the eye. It shimmered, just the tiniest bit, like it wanted to hide, but was so full of energy that it couldn't help itself by showing through just a bit. It was a crack between worlds and it was not supposed to be there.

Loki knew every portal in Asgard and where they were all hidden away. There was not supposed to be one here.

So, why was it?

Loki approached it, cautious, keeping an eye on it and looking for any other anomalies, other cracks. He sent out his magic, holding out his hand and wiggling his fingers. There was no real need for him to do the gestures of course, but they comforted him.

Loki had been deemed the god of mischief and lies because that was his personality and things he reveled in causing, because someone in that damn golden cage had to have a sense of humor (and not Thor's kind, because what a way to start Ragnarök that would be). He caused nothing but chaos, he was always told so, though some were more careful than most about how they said it. Loki has encouraged these views of himself throughout his long life, but there was a constancy that he had always taken comfort from. The lessons from his mother. The rules of the magic she taught him. The laws of the universe. The way of things, and the how of it all, and the why of everything living in the realms of their kingdom. The rules were a constant and they were a comfort to Loki when everything became too... everything. His brother is a constant cause of this, even after all these hundreds of years that Loki has had to accommodate himself to the big blond oaf.

This rip was not supposed to be here and it greatly unsettled him.

His magic touched the edges and sparked, causing the questing strands he sent out to snap back violently. Loki stepped back hastily, clutching his right hand with his left. He tripped over his feet and fell backward, "Curses!" That was not supposed to happen.

Loki got up from is graceless sprawl and backed up further from the crack, narrowing his eyes. Right. he had to tell his mother.

He left the cave where he had wondered into while on his walk. As the second son, Loki's presence was not required for as many things as Thor's was and Loki took advantage of it shamelessly, wondering off to be left to own devices; or off to his mothers library to hone more of his growing magical talents.

Unless he was dragged off by his insufferable brother to go slay some unsuspecting beast again.

Loki had walked here, but he could teleport back, a delicate bit of magic that was nearly impossible for him in the hustle and bustle of the city and the high chances of him being interrupted in the palace. The isolation of the deep woods was an advantage.

Loki sent out his magic from him, holding out his hands, then he stopped, looking back through the entrance of the cave he had just walked out of. Maybe more distance before any sort of casting was done.

When he had walked a good mile and a half away, he started shaping his magic for a portal, letting it slide out through him and--explode.

* * *

Loki came to in the dark, confused and perturbed about being confused. He did not like not knowing what was going on.

He got up, looked down at himself, got a good look at his hands. "That's just wonderful." They were burned, down from his fingertips and a few down his palms and the back of his hands. As soon as he noticed them the pain registered. Loki gritted his teeth, breathing through the pain and the irrational anger that came with the hurt. His hands shook a little.

His magic had done this.

Loki thought about trying another spell, a small one, just to see if the same thing would happen. Then he realized that, that would be something Thor would do and didn't.

He would have to walk, which was not a hardship, but it was dark, which means he had been unconscious for hours and usually Loki would have been back at castle before day turned to night. Which means his mother would be worried, because he always wished her good night after they read for at least an hour every day.

Loki started walking back, at most, he was only an hour away from the palace; walking wasn't a hardship

* * *

Loki went from the gate straight to find his mother.

He took the back-ways, pulling the hood of the cloak down and moving fast. Loki was in a hurry, but he wasn't alarmed enough to forget to avoid human interaction--especially one certain older brother-- and never mind that it was late; Loki did not manage to accomplish what he had because he let overconfidence take over.

It was quiet as he went, once or twice hearing the commotion of a group of rowdy friends. Then he was slipping past the palace gates and entering the palace through a backdoor. The first place he went looking was his parents personal rooms, taking a chance that his mother, at least, was still awake.

He knocked, "Mother?"

There was no answer.

Loki knocked again before just entering. The lights were out. Nobody was here.

A search of other rooms around the palace where his mother would usually be ended in naught.

He could've tracked down and asked a servant, but for one it was late and likely require far more effort, and for another, would require Loki speak to a person. Loki did not want to talk to a person he did not know at this time. Loki would have sent out his magic to quest out for his mother, but he was still not willing to risk what happened before to happen again. If he did his hands would be blown to the bones; who knows what that scar of bad energy did to his magic.

It was no use spending more time looking for his mother, her and Odin were not in the palace that night. he would wait in his mother's personal library for her. So, he could speak to her as soon as he could.

The scar was something he had to tell his mother about soon. Loki could feel it.

He settled into one of two chairs in the room where his mother kept her favorite books, with one of the books to read while he waited.

* * *

Loki woke up with a start and a snort, flailing gracelessly and throwing the book he had started reading against the bookshelves.

What? What?

Loki gripped the arms of the chair, heart racing, breathing heavily through his nose.

What?

Loki stayed still, looking slowly from side to side. What had woken him up?

Slowly Loki settled back into the chair, deliberately trying to relax his stiffened spine. How long had he been asleep? Loki forcibly calmed himself, keeping his eyes open, slowly loosening each muscle that had tensed.

The door to the room across from him, in eyesight; when Loki had settled in to wait last night, the door had been left open. It was still open and Loki was relatively sure he was alone, because the room was just a box; four walls, open floor, two chairs, and the bookshelves. there was nowhere to hide, unless they were using magic; which Loki doubted, because usually he sensed it. But who knew how messed up his magic truly was at the moment.

Loki decided to ignore it; if there was someone there, they would strike his turned back. he liked to think people would be at least that smart about hiring someone to kill him. Hopefully.

So, he got up and left the room, but nobody tried to kill him and he was only half disappointed, because that meant there was a different reason he had woken up.

The library led out to a hallway with the left leading to his parents bedroom and the right to the public area of his parents apartments.

Daylight shone through the windows.

Loki frowned; they hadn't come back last night. If his mother had, she would have woken him up.

They had been gone all night.

Loki left, shutting the door securely behind him and went off to find a servant who could inform him as soon as she arrived. Loki told the servant that he would be in his mother’s study and walked off.

Maybe there would be something to help him in there, and something to help him figure out about the scar.

Of course, it just had to be his luck that while walking down the loud corridor, that he would run into the female warrior Sif. Shield sister to his brother Thor.

The warrior nodded at him coolly, "Loki."

Oh, the coolness in that voice, it was just begging him to poke the bear. Loki never could resist poking the dragon when it was something, or someone who loathed him.

So, Loki smiled the smarmy smile, the one that he knew unnerved many, and specifically, piss the warrior off. He clasped his hands together behind his back, "Lady Sif, what a pleasure. May I inquire as to what you may be up to this fine day?" Loki also knew nothing pissed her off faster than him being polite. It brought joy to his plotting, mischievous heart.

"I am well." And that was all she said.

Loki gave it exactly a second, then dismissed her and continued on. Just before he finished turning, he caught the tick of disdain he had been expecting and let her see his smirk.

It was so much fun antagonizing others.

Loki walked away, boots echoing down the hallway. then Sif called after him, "Thor is looking for you. He's in the sparring field." He didn't bother replying, they both knew he wouldn't go.

The dislike others had for him had stopped truly bothering him long ago and the 'why' had become unimportant.

He paid attention to what mattered now. Never mind anything else.

The rest of the walk to his mothers study was uninterrupted and he managed to shut himself away.

Immediately, he started combing the shelves for the one book he remembered his mother pulling out when teaching him about the portals between realms. There was only one, which he had always found odd, but his mother had proceeded to teach him about illusions and how to cast them. That had kept his attention for quite a while.

Now, Loki found the book and sat himself down to immerse himself in it.

Portals were what he spent the most time studying, as soon as his mother determined that was his weakest point. Not portals to the other realms, those would take too much of his own magical energy to ever produce; but ones that could get him back in under a minute instead of four hours back to the palace from wherever he had wandered that day. Hours of meditation had consumed his days. They still did mostly, but more for daily maintenance now than anything.

* * *

Loki's in the study for a few hours when there's a knock, "Prince Loki?"

Instead of giving the person permission to enter, Loki finished the sentence he was reading and carefully marked his place before setting it aside.

The servant Loki opened the door to was not the one he had told to inform his mother that he needed to speak to her urgently and where he would be waiting for her.

"Yes?"

The servant stepped back, lowering a raised hand and bowing, quick, efficient, right to the point. "Prince Loki, your mother, the Queen, is in the vault and requests you come to there."

Loki pushed down the small bit of annoyance, if she was asking for him to come to her, his mother must have something important taking up her time for the day. He was thankful she was making the time for him.

"Very well."

The servant didn't leave, Loki narrowed his gaze and narrowed it further when he caught the flash of annoyance before it was hidden. Loki watched the annoying man walk away, back far too straight. So much hate in such a small body.

It wasn't strange for the servants to dislike him of course, but rarely was there such clear loathing. Usually, they were better at hiding it; that one must have been new.

Loki looked back into the room quickly, taking note of what boos he had set up by the chair he had sequestered himself to. Hopefully his mother would know what was up with the crack, and if not, hopefully there were some books she just hadn't shown him yet.

The vault was quite a walk away from where he currently was. His mother's study was a room with big, open doors leading off into the garden; the vault was in the center and under the palace. It was the most secure room in the entire kingdom. If his mother was there, the situation must be far more serious than he had been originally thinking. Waiting would be no problem, he was capable of being patient.

One does not choose magic as a discipline and not learn to be patient. For Loki, like Thor(ugh), he wasn't naturally patient; unlike Thor(heh), Loki learned it far quicker and always kept to those lessons. It still annoyed him. It was a fault, Loki was okay with it.

When Loki gets down to the vault doors, they're open and that cause him a seconds pause. It's only a bit, but still open and Loki is reminded of the first time Odin had brought Thor and him down here.

One of the first things the King of Asgard had told them was how important it was that the door reaming closed and locked. The most powerful objects in all the realms were locked in the vault; items that had led wars and been what was used as horrible weapons to commit genocide. It was dangerous to ever let even the chance of the wrong person walking in, from ever happening.

Loki stepped back, looked behind for the two guards that were supposed to be stationed there.

The steps down to the vault were many and there supposed to be guards at the top and four more pairs stationed at intervals on the way down; all within yelling distance. Loki thought back and could only remember seeing three pairs on the way down.

Loki looked back at the slightly open door, he recalled the way the servant had acted and shook his head with his hand on his right hand on his cocked hip.

Well, this was embarrassing.

Usually he had a better sense of when a plot to kill him was about to go down. Either he was losing his touch, or he had been far more distracted by the crack than he had originally though. Definitely distracted...

If he had been Thor, this is when his idiotic brother would barge into the room that was very obviously a trap, and then rely solely on his muscle to get him out of it.

Loki was not his brother.

So, he pulled out his daggers and began to make his way back up the steps. Cautiously, without noise and alert to anything that was supposed to come down after him. then a clang echoed from behind him in the vault and immediately after a rumbling growl spoke in a language that ticked at Loki's memory. he knew that language, but it was not one that he had ever heard spoken aloud before. Most languages he only knew because of his mother’s teachings in written form.

Again, if it had been Thor down here, there would be 'heroic' charging and possible death by stupidity. Again, Loki was not his brother and he was the smarter of the two, so he would be retreating.

He unfroze and quickened his steps, still silent, still with his weapons out.

Now he had enemies on both sides, At least it wasn't a boring day. With any luck he would get a chance to stab somebody. That would cheer him up.

Halfway up, the staircase started to become chiller, Loki gritted his teeth and quickened his pace. Then threw caution to the wind and outright sprinted when there was the echo of the heavy vault door opening and then an angry bellow.

It was usually here that Loki would leave behind an illusion as a distraction and allow himself a further lead from his pursuer. It was instinct, just how he had always fought, and his magic reacted thus. The doppelganger stayed, turned around and held his weapons ready. For a second, Loki thought it would all work out.

Then it exploded into lightning and ricocheted around the staircase.

There was a yell, a tumble and then one of the bolts hit his left leg and Loki fell too.

"By Odin's Beard!" Loki scrambled up, grabbing the closest dagger and deeming the other one too far to grab too. Of all the stupid ways or him to die--the arm with the weapon was grabbed and he was wrenched up.

The Frost Giant held Loki up to its own face, snarling; behind the one holding him captive two more Frost Giants walked up. They spoke in their tongue, growly and deep, the one holding Loki up seemed to be the one giving the orders.

Loki scowled, bracing his free arm against the opposite shoulder.

Frost Giants.

What in the Nine Realms were these giant ice men doing in Asgard? How were they able to get to the vault? There was only one thing in there that they would want and--out of the corner of his eye, he saw it, the one on the right had it in a two-handed grip-- and they had it.

The Casket of Ancient Winters.

Wasn't that just great. Didn't that just fill Loki with awe and confidence.

Odin was going to find a way to blame this on him.

The one in charge barked at the one holding the Casket, baring its teeth. The cold that they lived in and were so embodied of themselves, were frosting the stairs around them. Oddly enough Loki wasn't anywhere near freezing. His breathe wasn't frosting.

In-charge guy noticed where Loki had been looking and threw him, growling.

Loki hit the wall so hard it stunned him; he had managed to bring his hands behind his head before he hit the wall so he wasn't concussed. Loki would think that the way Thor was, was because of too many hits to the head, except he knew the guy from when they shorter than Odin's knee. It took him enough time to reorient himself though, that the Frost Giant was able to grab him before another attempted escape could be made.

This time though, Loki was grabbed by the neck, their skin coming into direct contact with his own and it felt like his ears popped and a chill came over him and didn't go away, but settled deep into his bones. To the Frost Giants, their captives skin shifted to blue and his eyes changed color and then they had one of their own kind before them and not a hated enemy.

Loki didn't really have time to register what had changed before he was being thrown over a shoulder and the whole lot of them was moving.

Back down the stairs and through the vault doors; Loki braced himself against the shoulder he had been thrown against and immediately jerked away, because he remembered reading about how freeing the Frost Giants skin was. Touching them gave the person immediate and very severe frostbite.

When he looked at his hands though, they weren't frostbitten, they were blue. "What is-" then there was a shift, a magical shift, one that Loki recognized as the passing through a portal. Like, but not similar, because then they were falling--and not from the sky.

Okay, Loki ignored his blue skin and was still panicking though, because then he pulled a Thor-like move. The smart thing to do would be to let them take him with them through the magical tunnel that acted like the Bifrost and then try to escape so that when a rescue party came, they could just go. Another was to just let the bargaining for his life commence. Besides, Odin was just as likely to come in and charge. Like Thor... Instead of any of that, Loki reached back, grabbed the third blade he kept hidden on his person and stabbed the one who was holding him.

The Frost Giant bellowed, Loki struggled, his captor's grip was lost, and Loki went flying away and out of the portal tube and into open space.

Stupid.


	2. Lightning Strikes II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of the battle, Thor searches for his brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two!!!  
> Thank you to you lovely people who very kindly pressed that kudos button, it is much appreciated and warms my heart that you felt the chapter was enough for you to do so :)  
> Thank you very much to RenlysRoses404, for the comment, I know how tempting it is to just read something and then go on to the next thing as soon as your done without a kudos or a comment(it is a habit I am very much trying to break myself of). The fact that you didn't makes me very happy. I have not read any Loki/Tony/Stephen fics, but am very thankful that I have stumbled upon it and get to give you another fic with a final pairing of your OT3 :) I warn you now though, it is slow-burn, hope the fic turns out to be good enough for you to stick around for the boys to get their happy ever after.  
> Happy Reading peoples, hope you enjoy the second chapter!

Thor took one last look around, saw that there was no more opponents and his fellow warriors had the surviving prisoners under control and readjusted his grip on Mjolnir.

"What had they been thinking?"

He turned his attention to Sif, who was looking on in pity at their downed opponents.

Thor grunted, "Whatever had been going through their minds, it matters not, now."

The bodies that were scattered about them were only vaguely familiar to him, and only in the sense that he knew they were Asgardians. The palace had been attacked by their own people; an attempted overthrowing of the monarchy.

Sif remained by his side, still vigil, unwilling to let any chance of someone possibly getting a lucky shot in. Especially not because of such an idiotic reason as letting their guard down.

"I need to find my father." Not because Thor feared Odin might be injured, but because Odin would know where--or possibly be with--his mother was and she would know where Loki was. Thor hadn't seen his brother once the entire battle. It had gone on for a day, plus some hours well into the next.

Loki worked from the shadows, Thor knew this, and he used tricks, avoiding being in the heat of the battle. Despite all that, Thor knew Loki was a formidable warrior; they had had the same training growing up, after all.

So, Thor wasn't worried about his brother either, but habits were hard to break and, always after a battle, always, Thor looked for his brother.

Thor and Sif made their way out of the courtyard they were in, one where they had managed to congregate the fighting. There was some chatter, but a hushed down version, especially compared to the noise level that had been the battle.

They were walking up the stone steps leading inside when a guard came running down the steps, halting immediately on the same step as Thor and bowed. "My prince, your presence in the infirmary is requested. The King wished to speak to you there." the words were said quickly, but not rushed.

Thor didn't need to hear anymore than that, he swung Mjolnir and was off, not letting the sudden fear trying to cave his chest in take over him.

"Thor!" Sif's voice snapped out, surprised, worried, Thor dismissed it and focused on willing Mjolnir to get him there with all the haste she could.

Walls, columns, others, blurred in his peripheral vision as Mjolnir took him to the infirmary. His Mother, Loki. They had to be okay. Thor was just overreacting. Loki would mock him for it as soon as he arrived.

Thor flew into the infirmary, causing the doors swing open violently and bang against the walls, much like small explosions would sound like. He would know, Loki had gone through a phase involving, many, many tiny hidden bombs a few centuries back. It startled the healers standing around the cot that his Mother was sitting up in and put the two guards who were in the room to go on alert, arms on blades half-way out of their sheaths. The two guards who were outside the infirmary had known who it was right away. Odin and Frigga didn't show any signs of being startled, if they had been at all. Thor looked over Mother, searching for any visible injury. A sweep of the room, the healers, guards, his Father, his Mother... no Loki. Maybe he just hadn't gotten there yet. Thor told himself not to worry, it would do no good.

"Mother, Father." Thor stepped forward, so he was beside the bed, a healer moving out of his way, "I came as soon as I was told of where you were." Thor held on, squeezed once, when his Mother reached up and held his hand.

"Are you okay?" Thor looked at his Mother. She patted the hand holding hers, "Yes, Thor, I'm fine. Just a knock on the head."

Thor raised his eyebrows. Nothing was 'just' a 'knock on the head'; at least according to his Mother.

She smiled because she knew what he was thinking.

If there had been any blood on her head from the 'knock on the head', it had already been washed away. Thor very much wanted to fuss over his Mother at that moment; much like when she would fuss over Loki and him when they would come to her after a scuffle.

Thor turned to face Odin, "I am glad to see you both well."

Odin nodded his head.

"This was a foolish endeavor, but they were an organized lot. They did not fight like men who were looking to die."

Thor had noticed that too; they had fought like they knew they had more than a chance. Halfway through the battle though, there had started to be doubt, more desperation in their fighting. They had been expecting back-up and it had never come.

"I had the sense that they were waiting."

"If they had been waiting for reinforcements, they were abandoned. The people who had meant to be their back-up, will have to be found, they could be unwanted trouble in the future." Odin stepped forward, closer to his Queen.

They were the only three in the room, Thor noticed. They must've been dismissed when he had been distracted checking that his Mother was in good health.

Odin locked eyes with his Queen and a look passed between them, one that could only happen when two people had been together and cared for each other as deeply as they did. "We were lured to remote locations and ambushed. I suspect that these unknown allies were supposed to be the ones to originally be meant to defeat us."

"One managed to clip me with their blade before I subdued them. It worried your father though, so we came here." Frigga squeezed the fingers holding her own.

Thor nodded and looked to the door. "How long ago did you send for Loki?"

Thor was not worried. There was nothing to worry about. He was just being the vigilant warrior he was. He was just being a good older brother. He was just being responsible. He wasn't worried because there was nothing to worry about.

A severe frown turned down Frigga's mouth, she reached out a hand, releasing Thor's, but he just moved it to her shoulder, "Odin." A demand and a question at once.

Odin took his Queen's hand, squeezed and let go, then he walked to the door and was out in the hallway; organizing a small search party to locate his second son. The abruptness of it all, how Odin didn't even try to reassure Frigga first, showed that Odin was just the littlest bit worried himself.

There's nothing to worry about, Thor told himself, Loki had probably just gone to his room to wash up and relax in his bedroom. Or the library. There was nothing to worry about.

Thor was not worried, because he knew his brother; he knew what Loki was capable of and what a fierce warrior the dark-haired prince was in his own right.

Then an hour passed and Loki was not found. Not in his bedroom or Mother's library or the palace archives. The vast gardens were empty of his brother's presence also. The small search party turned into a palace wide search where half the guards were searching. The Warrior's Three and the Lady Sif had elected to stay behind (not that Thor suggested they go back to their rooms and rest, he respected them more than that.) and assist the guards in the search.

Another hour and almost passed the third, the sun was half-way down when any word on Loki came to them. It was not from a guard, but a servant. They had seen Loki before the fighting had started.

Down in the vault.

Thor didn't run there, but he did rush just a bit, with his Warrior's Three and the Lady Sif behind him. Nobody spoke while they marched to the doorway that would lead down to the vault, their steps echoing against the stone walls of the hallways.

With the setting of the sun came the quiet that was common with the night. After the violent action of today, the quiet seemed just all the heavier. Thor felt the weight of it settle over his shoulders.

The weight was forgotten when Thor descended the stairs and saw the cracked wall, the drops of blood, the bent door leading into the vault. There was frost covering some of the steps and the floor. The Casket was missing from inside the vault. This all gave a picture that Thor did not like very much at all.

* * *

Thor and Odin argued.

Raised voices that were barely contained in the room they were sequestered in. Thor wanted to go and retrieve his brother, to demand the Frost Giants return his brother to them and if they would not, make them.

Odin refused to let him go. When Thor tried to argue against, tried to make his Father see reason, Odin banged his staff down so hard it sent vibrations through the entirety of the room. Then he forbade Thor from going to Johtenheim and retrieving Loki. If he did go against the orders, it would be treason.

When Thor stormed out, lightning struck across the sky and thunder boomed.

Thor stormed to where Sif, Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg were waiting for him. He banged the doors open when he came in, scowling, angry, ready to battle the fucking sun. they all surged to their feet when he entered and didn't say anything when he began to pace, shocked and willing to wait and see if he said anything or had to be prompted.

It took a while for Thor to calm down enough he could begin to form words.

"He's forbidden me to go. Has threatened me with treason if I go against what had ordered."

Nobody responded, they knew what's not what he wanted.

"He's just decided to leave his son to be the prisoner of those savages. The Frost Giants have nothing but hate for my Father and his family! What does he think they will do to Loki?" Thor ranted, voice getting louder. "They've taken a prince of Asgard! This can not be allowed to stand!" Thor yelled and punched the wall. Cracks spiderwebbed out from his closed fist, when he pulled it away, there was a dent.

Thor breathed deeply; focus zeroed in on his pounding heart. His brother, his younger brother, a man who had fought beside him, Who Thor had laughed and drank with, was prisoner of one of Asgards enemies. And his father--their father!--refused to rescue him. Would leave his son at the mercies of a violent people who wanted nothing but Asgards fall.

"So, what are we going to do?" Thor turned, to see that Volstagg had stood up and was looking to him expectantly.

Thor dusted off his hands, looked each one of his warriors in the eye as they stood, and declared, "We go and save my brother."

* * *

Heimdall had been injured in the fight, was currently in the infirmary. Nobody was watching the Bifrost. There would be someone sent to do so soon though, Thor had no doubt. So, there was no waiting for nightfall or being stealthy for stealth’s sakes, Thor and his warriors charged down the bridge. Luckily, the sword was already there, ready to be used. Fandral stayed behind, something that the warrior was not happy about. Thor had seen how his friend had been favoring his side though and how much effort it took for the golden-haired man to hide that he was doing so. Thor embraced Fandral before leaving, as did the other three in their group. Hogun was last and had a few seconds of quiet conversation with Fandral. Then, finally, after one last embrace, a pat on the arm, Hogun went to stand with Thor, Sif and Volstagg, while Fandral took the place upon the raised platform. With one last steadying breath, he activated the Bifrost and they disappeared.

When they crashed into cold snow, the only thing that met them was the biting wind. None of them stepped out of their fighting stances or let their guard down even a little bit.

Thor squinted his eyes against the hardness of the wind, keeping himself calm, his breaths even. Thor, Sif, Volstagg and Hogun looking over the snow landscape, searching for the slightest bump that could not belong. This kind of environment, heavy wind with fields of snow, white blankness that could blind you so easily without proper protection, was one that he had the last experience with.

Slowly, they stood up straighter, but they remained alert and on guard.

"Sif."

The warrior nodded and took a quick look all around them; she had a good hunch where they were, but needed to confirm. She had seen pictures of the ice giants castle, drown replicas that were from descriptions in passages taken from a friend of a friend of someone that had seen it. The only ones to have actually, without a doubt, seen it and been inside it though, had been Odin and the army he had taken there. Asking the few survivors though would have raised suspicions though, and Sif secretly thought it just had not occurred to Thor at all. Her prince he may be, but she would admit his faults.

Would be the first to, right alongside Loki.

Then she spotted it, there were mountains amongst it, but somehow, she knew that was it, because it shined somehow. It was more alive than the rest. Exactly as it had been described.

Sif touched Thor's shoulder and gestured with her head when he looked at her from the corner of his eye. He nodded and they began the long trek.

For his first time using it, Fandral had gotten them quite close to where they needed to be. Not bad for his first time.

Thor led his warrior brothers and sister on through the frozen landscape, eyes never once straying from the lower that Sif had pointed at. He trusted them to watch his back and everywhere for him.

Wait for me brother, we're coming.

* * *

There were no ice giants just milling about, no crowds gathered. There was only one standing outside, unarmed. Thor ducked back behind the ice pillar. Doing so, he bumped it, just the slightest bit.

Unfortunately, 'just the slightest bit' was enough for a small cracking sound to reach their ears and then soon the sound of a ice pick breaking and smashing upon the ground echoed through the open air like lightning.

They all froze, Sif glared at him, Hogun resettled his grip, Volstagg shrugged and braced his feet.

Nobody moved.

Then, from above them, a deep rumbling voice, "Intruders."

Then there was a battle cry and they were all in the thick of it.

Thor and the rest fought with all their skill. All warriors had experience fighting, in both single combat and as part of a unit. They had much experience fighting together, knew how to match their rhythms to one another. They held their own against the Jotunn, but members were good to corner others and eventually that’s how they were driven. Thor and his warriors were shepherded to the middle of the icy courtyard and were there, standing back to back, when there was a bellow.

It came from behind Thor, so he didn't turn around, but all of their opponents looked to where it came form and took a step back.

He was breathing heavily, the cold air biting at the back of his throat, he shifted, chanced turning his head to the sides to check on his warriors, who also had their eyes trained on their opponents. Thor felt a brief flash of pride and gratefulness, that these were the warriors he fought beside.

"Asgardians, why have you invaded my realm and attacked my people." The speaker had a deep voice and didn't ask so much as demand an answer. It put Thor's back up and reminded him of his own anger.

Thor, trusting the others to compensate for him, turned around and faced down the one who had spoken. Who must have been Laufey, the Frost Giants king.

Unlike the ones around them, Laufey wore a piece of fur on his right arm with bone piercings through his nose and ears and bone necklaces. He watched them all coldly, but Thor sensed the anger that was barely controlled and met it with his own.

Thor looked Laufey in the eye, "I am Thor Odinson, Prince of Asgard." He brought up his hammer and pointed it at Laufey. "I am here to retrieve my brother, Loki. Bring him to me and we will leave with no more blood shed on either end."

Laufey's face, by the time Thor was done, was stormy, his eyes were blazing and his voice, when he responded, rose with each word he spoke. "You dare invade my lands and attack my people with the sole reason to demand that I return the son you stole form me!" His face was scowling now, teeth bared, the end of his tirade echoed to forcefully, part of a pillar cracked and snow began to rain down harder.

"Son?" Sif mumbled, and Thor heard her from where she stood ready beside him.

Thor didn't feel shock from the words, but angry, "What lies are you trying to speak to me." he demanded.

Laufey moved forward, past his warriors who were all the more agitated by their king's own.

"I speak no lies, son of Odin." Laufey growled, derision and contempt clear in his voice, "Son of a Child Stealer."

Thor tensed and would have attacked then, but Volstagg's arm shot out and gripped his shoulder.

"Shut your mouth! How dare you speak of the King of Asgard in such a manner!"

"How dare you claim kinship to my brother, Asgardian!"

A different Jotunn an inch smaller than Laufey stepped forward, from where he had been behind and to the side of the king. Thor looked him over, he was made up as the rest, except for the bone adornments, which were similar to Laufey's "I am the only one capable of claiming such. You will never lay eyes upon my brother again. You filthy Asgardian, go back to your kingdom ruled over by an honourless Child Stealer!"

Thor snapped.

* * *

"How many times have we told you that your temper was going to kill you?"

Thor stopped pacing and looked over to Sif, where she leaned against one wall of the ice cave, they were trapped in. Volstagg and Hogun were sitting beside one another at the opposite wall, improvising with snow and rock for a rough version of their preferred game. Thor's angry expression gained a confused edge as he looked between them.

"Never. You have never said such to me."

Sif snapped her fingers, "Right, we talk like that behind your back." Her face went deadpan, "My Prince."

Volstagg and Hogun very obviously were not looking at him when he glanced at them. He narrowed his eyes at Sif, she remained the same.

This was not a stare off he was meant to win though which he so rarely did with her anyways. Thor broke eye contact first and then continue pacing.

They all let the silence sit, not interrupting each other.

During the battle that--yes, fine!-- had been started because of his loss of control over his temper, they had managed to fight their way in to the fortress. Once there they had split to look for his brother, which is the only reason that Thor was able to pull himself away from his battle with Laufey's son at all.

"He had gotten captured in a throne room, by Laufey’s second son. Byleistr had knocked him out when eh had gotten distracted by another Jotunn bringing in a knocked out Volstagg and a captured Hogun and Sif. He had woken up in the cage, with the other three between him and the bars.

It enraged Thor, to be so helpless and to have failed so at saving his brother from the giants.

Sif huffed loudly, "Thor, wearing a path into the floor will only tire you out and cause you to be no help at all if an opportunity to escape come along."

He knew she was right, he just growled though and continued pacing.

Trying not to think about the lies that Laufey and his brood had dared to utter. Anger was what worked best for him when there was a need to avoid certain thoughts.

"Who wants to bet that Loki will escape first and come and save us." Hogun said.

Everybody looked at the man, he reached out and moved a small snowball to a different place on the makeshift 'gameboard'.

Sif narrowed her eyes and leaned her forearm on her knee, "I'll take that bet. Loser pays lunch."

They shook on it.

* * *

There was no way to tell how much time had passed, but it must have been at least a few days before four guards came down to escort them out. Under lock and chains they were escorted up, hobbled and starting to feel the cold more than before. Thor kept his eyes straight as they entered the room he had been captured in. Laufey sat upon his throne, three other giants, all decorated with bone ornaments. They all looked like they wanted to peel his skin from him.

They stopped, huge, cold hands dropped onto his shoulders and forced him to his knees, as were the three others.

Thor scowled, but never looked away from Laufey. Thor wanted to kill the Frost Giant King just as much as it looked like he wanted to kill Thor.

There were grumblings and an angry rumble had taken the crowd when they entered, but it stopped the second their King moved. Laufey leaned forward, elbow on his knee, hand on the arm of the throne.

"Where is my son, Asgardian?"

Thor kept still, staring the giant down.

Laufey's nostrils flared, "I am sick of your games Asgardians. Tell me where my son has been taken and you shall have a chance of being spared for your realms crimes."

Thor took one deep breath before speaking, unfortunately his anger began to come out with every word he chose to speak. "My realm has committed no crimes against your own. The only crime I know of, is yours done to mine when you kidnapped a Prince of Asgard!"

The aggression rose in the room from every one of the giants. Sif and the other two tensed, not sure what they could do locked up so, but willing to go down protecting their friend. The two guards on either side of Thor knocked him down and pinned him to the cold floor.

Laufey shot out of his throne and would have surged all the way down, but was stopped by the hand of the one giant up there who Thor did not know. Laufey looked back at them, placing his hand over the one on his arm. They stepped forward, Laufey and the two sons stepped back.

Thor watched as the unknown one stepped down from the dais. They were the only Frost Giant in the great hall that taller than Laufey himself and the only one that was angrier. The last thing Thor wasn't able to confirm until they kneeled down right by his head, gripped his hair and wrenched his head up so they were eye to eye and they spoke to him.

"Do you know who I am, Thor, Son of the Child Stealer?" Each word was soft and calm and stabbed into Thor's ears like ice shards. "I am Farbauti, mate to Laufey and Dam of Helblinde, Byleistr and Litr." The hand in his hair tightened and Thor felt chunks get ripped out. "Or, as you know him, Loki."

Thor tensed, would have shouted, but was stopped by Sif.

"What if we're all wrong?"

Farbauti pushed Thor's head down so hard he was stunned.

Farbauti rose and moved to stand in front of Sif, "Say again warrior."

Sif looked around, "We could all be wrong. Loki," a growl from them all caused Sif to falter, but she kept going, "is not in Asgard. We came here to find him. There would be no other reason why we would be here your Majesties."

Farbauti did not move, staring down at them all, face made of stone, eyes showing nothing. It was getting colder and it seemed to be coming form Laufey's mate.

Thor breathed out and his breath fogged; he breathed in and the air stabbed the back of his throat. He started to shiver.

They started to shiver so hard they couldn't speak.

"Take them back to the dungeons."

* * *

The next time they came to bring them before the royal family, they only took Sif and left the rest of them. Thor had to be held back and only stopped when Sif snapped at him to stop being an idiot. Now it was a few hours later and Sif still was not back.

"Thor, my friend, be still. If they had decided to execute her, we would be all out so they could kill us all at the same time."

Thor turned to look at Volstagg, "Comforting as always Volstagg." Then he went back to pacing.

The sound of steps on ice came to them; Thor stopped and tried to see as much as he could. They would not open the door to let Sif back in until Thor and the other two had backed away to the end of the cave. They locked the cage again and left.

They all looked at Sif.

"What did they want? Are you okay?"

Sif watched the guards go, waited until they could not see or hear them anymore before replying.

"I was brought up to talk to Farbauti."

Thor frowned, "Just Farbauti?""

"Yes, we talked about, well, what was talked about before. We discussed Loki. Litr. Fortunately, they were inclined to believe me when I told them we had no idea about where Loki was."

Thor grumbled, but didn't say anything at Sif's sharp look. He thought it though.

"We managed to come to an agreement about how to handle the whole situation."

"Why would they call you to discuss that? He is my brother, they-"

"'Because, we are the only two who have the slightest bit of sense.'"

Sif's expression dared him to argue.

Thor did not know if it was how tired and cold, he was, or just because he was finally getting a clue, but Thor did not argue.

"What kind of agreement did you managed to come to?" Thor even managed to not sound as angry as he actually was.

"I managed to negotiate something that will work for both of us. Thor, I was you to remember that you have been working on your diplomacy skills."

Thor narrowed his eyes, crossed his arms and deliberately began taking deep and even breaths.

When Sif told him, he managed to contain himself to only punching the wall.

Twice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.... I want to write a fanfic purely based on Loki and his Johtun family now... just gotta add that the 100+ To-Write list lol  
> Does anybody else feel comforted when they see a long list of To-Write stuff that they have? I love it, I look at it and, instead of thinking, 'oh dear god, I will never finish all this', I think, 'oh, thank god, job security', you know?  
> Well, my fellow readers, always yours,  
> ~DR.SKL


	3. Trapped Ice III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki plans his escape from his jailer, but first he has to fight to survive to do so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gentleladies and Gentlemen, I bring to you, the third chapter in the Gears of Midgard Saga, enjoy!  
> Thank you to all of you that have left your kudos so far, you are so kind and I appreciate so much :)  
> RenlysRoses404, thank you so much for the comment, I'm glad to see that you're liking what has been written so far, I've worked on this a long time. I give you guys Loki in this chapter, but next chapter is when we revisit Thor and see how he's handling being 'diplomatic' lol  
> Happy Reading!

He was breathing heavily, on his hands and knees, sweat was dripping into his eyes and falling form his face. They had been sparring for hours. he was starting to shake. They would go until one of them was no longer able to stand. Just like they had done all the other time. There was a small scratch on his left arm.

"Ready to concede?"

Loki looked up at Corvus, filled with so much hate that the breathing he had just gotten control of, sped up again. None of his emotions showed on his face; by now Loki was able to do that effectively enough Corvus could not tell what he was thinking.

Corvus was smug, and the old wrinkled toad was not even trying to hide it. All-Father, Loki hated him more than he had ever hated another living being in his over a thousand years of life.

One day, Loki swore to himself, I am going to kill him. Then he pushed himself to his feet and continued the fight.

* * *

Falling off the rainbow bridge and being condemned to float in open space as a corpse forever, was not a fate Loki would have chosen for himself. Loki would often ask himself if he would go back to it, instead of be where he had ended up. It was so tempting for the answer to be yes, but if there was one thing Loki had always been, it was a survivor. It was just he was now discovering exactly how much of one he was.

Loki did not remember being picked up by the ship that he woke up on. He remembered the Frost Giants, his blue arm, being taken by the Frost Giants, and falling out and into open space. He remembered the cold settling into the very marrow of his bones and it feeling like he was always meant to feel like that. Loki did not remember waking up the first or the next few times. He came back to full consciousness chained and in a cell, with no guard in sight.

Eventually, a guard, who was a creature that Loki had been hoping to never run in to, walked by. The guard had left, presumably to get somebody higher up. Honestly, Loki had been surprised at that, as far as he knew, the Chitauri were little better than vermin. Good for nothing but following orders. Who was controlling this bunch?

The guard came back and that was the first time Loki had been introduced to Corvus Glaive.

* * *

Corvus did not get back up the next time Loki downed him. Not dead, unfortunately, which Loki was so tempted to correct, but he was still too unsure of him fabricated place in this psychopathic family.

"You are improving fast, Loki."

The flash of fear Loki felt stab through him at the sound of that deep, all encompassing voice was familiar. He felt it every time. Fortunately, he was too exhausted to react, so he did not have to waste control to hide how scared and startled he was.

Loki turned, so he was facing Thanos, but did not look the Titan in the eyes. The anger he felt at having to show any sort of deference to this wannabe god, was almost equal to the fear he had for Thanos.

He nodded, not daring to speak back, but also not daring to let it go unanswered in some way.

The hand that came down to pat his head, caused Loki's heart to jump so bad, he thought it had stopped. That hand could crush his head like it was loosely packed dirt. No real resistance, just mashed brains.

Living life as a pessimist was not an easy existence, but Loki knew that when he chose his lot in life.

"It's a hard path we have chosen to follow, but the work we do, is for the good of all. We are saving worlds Loki." It was so inequitable, the way Thanos spoke about it all. Thanos removed his hand and, having preached what he came to preach, he walked out of the sparring room.

Loki watching him leave, wishing he had the energy to pick up his blades and remove head from body.

* * *

He was tortured afterwards. he was brought before Thanos, in the room where he sat in a throne and was surrounded by his 'adopted' children, and introduced. Loki had never heard of him, which, not surprising, because what this Titan was explaining, seemed like a threat the All-Father would be monitoring.

Killing off half a population, committing mass murder, in the name of peace and prosperity. Loki hoped he would never be such a delusional tyrant. If he ever became one. the classics were just better, conquer and make them bow, simple. None of this misguided "I'm the savoir of the entire universe and doing all this for the greater good", bullshit.

All-Father and Odin's great white beard, though, the Titan sounded so convinced.

Loki could never remember being so frightened upon meeting another.

So, he met Thanos, was then offered a place among his household(a.k.a spaceship, a.k.a lair, a.k.a the madman was not even trying to look like he was not some evil fucking tyrant). When Loki refused, in the most polite roundabout way possible, he was taken back to the cell and then the next day, the torture started.

It was not obvious that was what it was at first. When they brought his meal, it was less than it had been the day before. He did not think much of it, just figured this was their petty way of getting back at him for daring to refuse to beg to join their special club. Then it kept happening and he started starving and Loki started to seriously plan his escape.

* * *

When Loki exited the training room, Gamora was right there, flipping a knife, catching it, flipping it again. He only glanced at her, then he turned and started down the hallway to his quarters.

He loathed these sessions for many, but one that came mostly to mind now; was that feeling like this reminded him of how he would fell after Thor had dragged him into whatever crazy, not-at-all-well-thought out plan/fight of the week. Most often, the week, sometimes the month. He had been getting real good at hiding.

Afterwards, he always felt like he did now, beyond exhausted and just done with everything.

Loki's throat tightened he coughed to dislodge whatever was in there.

Gamora walked up beside him, knife put away and fell into step beside him. Thanos had noticed a small growing partnership between them and had started to encourage it, because Gamora was his most loyal child, the one that, when tasked with his will, always carried it through. he viewed their partnering as a way of pulling Loki more into their fold. Loki did not know why Thanos was so invested in dragging Loki to his side.

Loki on Thanos side was an important thing to the Titan Loki knew, because of how he saw what Thanos encouraged in his other children. Rivalry. Bloodthirst. Ruthlessness. Loki had seen what the cost of failure was, Nebula had been taken to the upgrade room again just last week. This was a deep mess of shit Loki had fallen into and now had to maneuver his way out of.

At least it stopped him from thinking about blue skin and giants.

* * *

He was visited as he sat in his cell, it was always after a meal and it was far between every visit. The first one to visit was the one that had been brought by the guard. All he did was smirk and subtly taunt. Loki paid him no mind, he was very good at ignoring people; years of practice ignoring his brother finally proving to be of some use. The second to visit him was Nebula and all she did was stare at him holding a knife in her hand.

Loki took a nap.

When he woke up form it, she was still there, this blue skinned girl who had a mismatched colored arm. She spoke only one sentence before leaving.

"The best thing you can do is die." Her voice was not normal, sounding like it was being spoken through a tunnel almost. After speaking she was gone.

When the sound of her footsteps faded, Loki caught sight of the knife on the ground. The exact one she had been toying with. He also realised that the slight discoloration of her arm was because it had been metal, but only thought of that briefly, deeming it unimportant.

* * *

Loki made to turn down the right hallway, but a hand on his arm yanked him to the left instead. he did not fight it and barely managed to hide his surprise in time. He was too tired, he needed to rest.

Loki looked sideways trying to catch something, a hint, in Gamora’s stony faced expression. There was nothing though.

Gamora led him far down the hall, until they were in a part that he was not familiar with yet. Eventually, they came to an empty room that Gamora locked before walking to one end of the room, leaving Loki beside the door.

"He'll break you. Some way he will find a way to break you." Gamora turned and looked him directly in the eyes. "He can make you follow his orders, even if you hate what you are being made to do."

Loki's instinctive reaction is to scoff and look at her like she's not worth wiping off his shoe, but he was tired. He was more than tired; Loki was exhausted and not just from the fight with Corvus. Loki had been on this ship for weeks, surrounded by--very--hostile enemies all day, at all hours.

Loki had been held prisoner before, kidnapped, beaten, threatened and almost killed. Thor had almost, always been there or on his way to where Loki was being kept; Thor had always had Loki's back.

"I know."

There was a shot of surprise through her eyes, because she had foreseen much need of convincing before they got anywhere near this stage.

Loki did not flinch when Gamora came closer until almost, just touching.

"You know what Thanos does."

Loki did. Thanos's actions was not something that went unnoticed by Asgards court. It had too much of a possibility of being a threat to Asgard itself and the surrounding realms.

Gamora studied him, eyes not blinking, still searching. Loki stared right back, the small part of him that wasn’t bone-tired, knowing something important was being decided right then.

"How much do you hate him?" She asked in a hushed voice.

Oh, if that was not the perfect question to ask Loki.

Whatever Gamora was looking for, she must have found enough of it because her expression gave way for a determined one.

"Thanos is sending me to search for the soul stone. I asked for you to come with me."

That was when they began to planning how to fuck with Thanos.

* * *

Loki, as his general, natural personality, was a trickster, the god of Asgard most steeped in sarcasm. He knew how to lie and to lie so well, many were over a hundred years old. A few were over a thousand. Thor was even beginning to believe he had taken the last apple. Loki would lie Odin's beard off, he knew a liar when eh saw one. Gamora and Nebula were liars. Nebula did not even try. Gamora did though and even though she was good enough to fool the entirety of the ship, and most importantly, Thanos, Loki still knew a liar when he saw one. He could tell the third time Gamora visited him.

They hated Thanos.

The other? Power hungry maniacs. Loki dismissed them as unimportant fanatics. Especially the old, creepy telekinetic one.

Gamora spoke rehearsed words that were very good at making her sound like she had truly bought in to the whole load of horse-crap. Loki became more convinced the more she spoke it was the exact opposite.

Knowing that, Loki knew how he could get out of this whole mess.

He just needed to wait for the right time to act on it.

Luck was on his side then, because Thanos was the one that came to visit him after he had come to this conclusion.

* * *

Finding/waiting for the right moment to see if Loki would take advantage of Gamora's hate for the man that had made her what she was took not as long as Loki thought it would.

Gamora was his most-likely way of escaping this little asylum of cultists so he was ready to wait far longer than he did. She must have seen what he saw in her.

Like attracts like.

Nebula was too volatile as a possibility to partner up with. Loki had her as an emergency backup.

Thanos agreed to let Loki accompany Gamora on the mission. They had not really talked about what working against Thanos exactly entailed; she had quickly left and told him to go back to his chambers as soon as she had received his agreement. The silence and terseness remained as they prepared for their journey and as they set out in their ship.

Gamora said nothing until they had landed on a planet and had walked some distance from where they had landed.

She explained it all to him, how she has almost certainly has found the soul stone, how she just has to confirm that it is where all signs are leading for it to be and then she explains what the plan she has come up with is.

They are going to find the soul stone and then they are going to be make sure it stays hidden.

There was also backstory and a bunch of who she found out what from, but the fist was that they find it and then keep hiding it.

It would all be so much easier if they could destroy the infinity stones. Killing Thanos would also work; it would work very well.

Loki asked her why she decided to bring him in on it, because it sounded like she had it all under control; adding someone new seemed unnerving and too risky at this point.

"You're Loki, son of Odin, brother of Thor. The Trickster God. God of Lies. I can use your help by making sure we get everyone that knows even a bit. Plus, I can just kill you if you do attempt to run all of my hard work."

Loki had no doubt that was true.

* * *

There was training involved, when you accepted Thanos's forced adoption. Training to become a dangerous killing machine. Starting to go through it all, Loki began to understand why nebula was so altered with her mechanic enhancements. Loki mostly understood it better when he was in another sparring session with Proxima, and she chopped of his arm from the joint.

The shock of it happening at all caused him to freeze, in two ways. The first way caused him to be drop-kicked out of the boundaries of the spar circle. the second way kept him from bleeding out. The stump of him arm froze over.

Loki did not realize the second one until later because he was knocked out when Proxima got him the last time.

When Loki woke up, in an infirmary (which surprised, because the whole place was very 'fend for yourself'), with Thanos waiting right there. Loki was not able to hide the hint of fear when the Titan was the first thing he saw. Thanos seemed to like it though, if the smile said anything.

Fortunately, Loki was able to play off the ice on his stump as his magic going rogue and following survival instincts.

It avoided the 'what are you really?' conversation, but brought forth the 'you never told me you had such a high affinity for magic' conversation.

That was when he got more training sessions with Ebony.

* * *

"Your father controls an entire army."

They were walking back to the ship, soul stone location confirmed and loose ends tied up. Gamora had been silent the whole walk back, until they were just within sight of the ship.

Loki was little of ahead of her now, having kept walking when she stopped and only stopped himself when she spoke up.

"Yes, he does. Kings do tend to have armies with which to ravage other Kings kingdoms." Loki did not care that his sarcastic quips might result in physical harm to his person. Nebula seemed more the type to punch him, Gamora seemed to have a better temperament. Which was proved to be true when all she did in response was ignore him and continue on her stream of thought.

"Odin has been ruling for a long time." Seeing the look on her face, Loki knew this was not a thought that was just occurring to her. "How powerful would you say he is?"

Loki realized this was why she had brought him into the secret I-Hate-Thanos-And-Want-Him-To-Burn-Alive Club.

"I have never seen Odin in battle." Which had never occurred to Loki as an odd thing. Asgard had been experiencing an era of peace since he would remember. There had been fights, maybe a challenger; Loki remembered, vaguely, someone coming and demanding Odin's head. There were also those few attempted uprisings that Loki may or may not have helped facilitate--and one that he led, in disguise, of course. Everybody had a rebellious teenage phase though.

Gamora's gaze got that now familiar determined look, "There are other empires, other armies, but there has never been a closer opportunity to grab hold of one and get their help." She took a deep breath. "You are a prince, Odin's son, you have the greatest chance to convince Odin himself to take Thanos on."

Loki, at most, was just hoping to survive this entire episode until an opportunity came up for Loki to fake his death and be off into the stars. This was more, this put the responsibility of billions (multiplied by more) of lives (more likely planets) on his shoulders. It did not really appeal to Loki.

She saw the hesitation on his face.

"You know what Thanos is planning to do. He told you his plans himself. The massacre of half the populations of... of everything."

It's not that that terrified him or anything, but Loki did not see how this could apply to him.

"Gamora, I am happy to help you sabotage the big purple giant to all our hearts content, but let's not bite off more than we can chew."

He turned around and started walking back to the ship.

"He will never stop going after you."

He won't look for a dead person, Loki thought, but all he said aloud was, "He will never find the soul stone."

* * *

The surgery to attach the new forearm, happened almost as soon as Loki had woken up. There were many drugs to keep Loki did not think about the future. He thought about the next task and did not allow himself to think further until he was doing the next task. He was healing and practicing using his new limb competently. There was no need to think about tomorrow until Loki was waking up and 'tomorrow' became 'today'.

It was disconcerting to see it move, to know he was the one moving it, but unable to feel it. He had to keep reminding himself to be aware of it. To not actually go through with a motion even though he thought about doing it.

It kept him occupied, kept him from thinking about... what he was not thinking about.

Eventually, training began again when scabs became scars and the constant pain became a only a constant throb.

When he did it was twice as brutal and Loki barely got away from the first one with only a concussion.

Loki wondered, and not for the first time, if the warriors he had trained under in Asgard, had been going easy on him. Or he had just spent too much time in the library.

Loki was a little unsure if he was going to be able to survive this ship.

* * *

It nagged at him; Odin's beard, it nagged at him like only Thor had ever been capable of. Who cared about all the other planets. Loki would be fine, so what if half the souls were wiped out in one swoop. Gamora had said half the population on every planet. Abruptly, his mother came to mind.

Which was then followed immediately by Loki arguing with himself that Odin would never listen to him. Odin would just assume he was lying. Odin would not care about the rest of the known universes being wiped out, he would only care about protecting his own people and leave the rest to deal with the impending mass murder with no attempts to warn or help them at all.

His mother would listen though.

Loki went to go find Gamora when he woke up, but casually, not actively seeking her out. He found her sparring and called the fight after theirs, claiming his opponent to be the winner.

Gamora was facing off against Proxima. Gamora won, of course.

So, they faced off against each other and Gamora held nothing back. When she pinned him, face close to his, Loki looked her in the eyes and said, "Okay."

He held it long enough to see she understood, then he headbutted her and kicked her off him.

Eventually, Gamora gained her eventual win and Loki nursed his bruises. She had not gone easy on him.

* * *

Loki had to escape back to Asgard. He had to somehow escape from under the thumb of their psychotic purple father. Some people called Loki pessimistic and unnecessarily negative; these people would be right.

What they do not say is that Loki was also right almost all the time. Which he very much was.

Loki could not run away while on a mission with Gamora, because not one of them would believe that Loki had managed that. If he actually was able to do so, was one thing that would never be answered. Gamora was Thanos's greatest warrior, Loki was their greatest newbie (Gamora insisted on calling him); too much scrutiny would fall on the green skinned woman afterwards.

That is how it went for a while. Gamora voiced an idea, Loki voiced every possible flaw.

Gamora put her foot down on their latest plan, arguing specifics with Loki about the whole lot.

They watched for it, the opportunity to escape and finally, it did. They were all, except for Nebula, Gamora and Loki, ordered to go and invade Xandar to retrieve and bring back the Power Stone. Hearing it caused Loki's gut to clench and he felt a little light-headed at the thought of Thanos getting his hands on another infinity stone.

Do not think about, he ordered himself, just think about the ship you are taking and the route you will go back to Asgard on. Loki was not sure what he would say to his mother to convince Odin.

Loki stayed in the training room while they all departed; Gamora was with them in the ship bay, watching Thanos lead the three most bloodthirsty of his 'children' to anther of their larger (not larger than this one) ships to decimate a city to achieve his horrible delusions about a utopia.

He was shooting a target, practicing with a gun, which was not like any weapons on Asgard and Loki felt immensely uncomfortable with. Which is why he was constantly pressured to work with them. Gamora had started her own Let's Make Loki A Killing Machine campaign, ever since he had agreed to her plan. He was almost exclusively sparring with her, learning and getting bruises just as he was healing from his old ones. At least with her he was not losing any ore limbs. He still had to remind himself about his left forearm.

Loki had just finished a clip and put the gun down when Gamora came in and started shooting alongside him.

She had been left in charge of the entire fleet, Thanos having only taken half and another large ship that was part of his fleet. He took so much because if he had to 'cure' that world like he had so many before, he needed the fire power.

It was only after they had decimated a few more targets, with Gamora dictating to him when to adjust his grip or stance and when to pay more attention to his aim. Loki was not sure how much time had passed, but he fell into the zone, losing himself in the motions.

He still did not like shooting, but it was good for something, he supposed.

Gamora put her gun down, waited for him to be almost done and then walked away. Loki finished himself and then followed her, making sure to put away both the guns.

Loki had never heard the ship so silent before, did not know it could be as silent as he thought it was before.

They walked to the ship bay, taking their time, passing a guard or two.

They broke off from each other halfway there.

Loki was not sure where she went, but he got into the bay, boarded a ship and launched off.

* * *

Something went wrong. Loki was not sure what had given them away, what had been the tip off to Glaive, but he had seen it. Loki was a day, almost two, out when Gamora managed to get an emergency message out to him that Glaive was after him. The bastard found him almost an hour after Loki received that message.

Loki would have to kill him, otherwise the bastard would follow him, would ensure they all did and Thanos would converge on Asgard before Odin could even be half convinced that Loki was not pulling his leg.

Loki could not fight Glaive in this ship, it was not the best equipped to fight. It was for speed. Unfortunately, Glaive engaged him in battle and Loki had to immediately go on the defensive.

Loki had no idea how to use all the weapons on the ship, could barely use the ones he could shoot at all. So, Loki used his magic.

Glaive’s ship, when it did explode, after Loki had managed to grab a hold of it and destroy something important in the complicated mechanics of this blasted metal machine, was too close to Loki's when it did. The closest planet was too far away to fly the ship to and safely land, so Loki transported himself to safety. His magic enveloped him, his ears popped, his stomach dropped and shrunk in on itself and his head seemed to turn itself inside out. Loki had never transported himself so far before, had never wanted to try. He hated it and much preferred his illusions than this crazy, gut punch magic. Loki had a large magic reserve, could go on for quite a bit of time before he had to rest and recharge. He had already used quite a bit though and doing this last cast, he had to dig deep and then scrape at the sides of his reserves.

The thing about most spells, is that the magic user did not know how much the new spell would take until they cast it for the first time. His mother had told him cautionary tales of people who had vastly underestimated the amount and dies; or fell asleep, still alive, but never woke up.

Loki did not try to estimate for this one, because he was dead if he did not try.

He tried and almost immediately knew; he did not have enough.

His ears popped again and then he was falling through the sky towards water and was just about to hit it, when he passed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit is just hitting the fan huh? Loki just can't catch a break.  
> It gets worse :)  
> Please feel free to click the 'kudos' button if you enjoyed what you have read so far and if you want to vent a bit about it, leave a comment and go for it.  
> Constructive Criticism is always welcome and appreciated.  
> As always, truly yours,  
> ~DR. SKL


	4. Lightning Struck IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor falls and loses his memory, progress is lost

Thor followed behind four Jotunn warriors, surrounded on three other sides by three others. Helblinde led the group, he had been the one to order Thor remain chained for the whole journey to where they were going. Thor did not even know why he was ordered to come with them for this part. Sif had mentioned something about making sure they both keep their sides of the bargain, but Thor had just glared and scowled.

Wind pulled at the exposed skin of his face, cold burrowing in slowly even as it was pushed back against by his core heat. Thor was bundled up, with quickly put together winter appropriate attire. They were journeying up the mountain that Laufey's kingdom was set at the base of, to find a cave that their holy people resided in. The path was getting narrower the farther up they climbed.

Curse Sif for getting him into this situation, curse her very much.

When this was all over; when Loki was back with them; when this whole god-forsaken mess had passed them all by and became nothing but a distant unwanted memory; Thor would see how this was a smart option, the most peaceful. Possibly. Sif would beat it into his head eventually.

Sif had come to the arrangement with Farbauti for Thor to go with Helblinde and find Loki. With Helblinde, who shared blood with Loki, their shamans could work a spell that would allow them to find out where Loki was and tie them together until Loki was found. The whole explanation had made Thor angry, because they should be using his blood, but there was no point in arguing with them when they were so convinced of their delusions. Hopefully Fandral was skilled enough to find Loki from where he stood and could send them there as quickly as possible. With Thor, they had the help of Fandral to use the rainbow bridge to take them to where Loki was. Sif, Hogun and Volstagg would be kept here as leverage to ensure Thor returned back without fighting when they brought back Loki.

The wind swept down in a hard gust and pushed Thor back, he teetered close to the edge, but managed to pull himself back. The Jotunn guard on his right snorted and reached out to shove him forward. Thor stumbled and glared forward, forcefully keeping his mouth shut. Sif's parting words rang in his head. "Control yourself. Do not lose your temper. Just keep asking yourself, is your ego and pride more important to you than finding your brother?".

The path narrowed until they were going one by one and another hour passed by, until one second they were in a sea of white and the next they were in the entrance of a large cave.

Thor huffed out a breath and shook away all the snow, getting a look around. It was a cave, a large cave, but till a cave and Thor did not see anybody that could be considered a powerful shaman.

Helblinde guttered something out in their harsh language and walked farther into the dark. Thor made to follow, but was stopped by both Frost Giants on either side of him. He clenched his fists and clenched his jaw to keep angry words that were rising up, in.

Helblinde disappeared into the deeper parts of the cavern. The prince walked far enough for the echo of his steps to disappear.

So, they waited.

Thor could be patient; it was part of being a hunter and a warrior and he excelled at being both. He waited and reminded himself he would find Loki at the end of this and come way, bring his brother home. These Frost Giants were lying and that would be proven soon enough.

there was a shape in the dark. The guards did not notice, they were not looking into the corners. They had settled beside each other and against the walls. The shape slowly became more distinctive until the small thin shape came into focus, along with the blue skin and golden eyes. That was a... small... frost giant... a runt?

Thor was shocked, but had no time pursue any from thought because Helblinde returned. It stole his attention for just a few seconds, but when he looked back into the corner there was nobody there. Thor didn't have enough time to ask any sort of question before Thor was forcefully turned and the cold slapped him in the face.

* * *

Thor was given a few minutes to say farewell to his fellows. After that Sif had reminded him of his reasons why he should keep his temper; and Hogun and Volstagg wished him luck and clasped arms with him. When he was led back up and Helblinde and him were then escorted out of the city a half hour out. Thor was carrying his hammer again, having been allowed to retrieve it when he had come back from the calls.

Thor stood beside the Frost Prince and raised Mjolnir, "Fandral, bring us back!" The light took a second, but it came down on them and swept them away.

Fandral stood on the raised platform, face grim and hand on the pommel of his sabre, "It seems you have brought back a guest my Prince. To what do we owe the honor?" Thor walked forward and up onto the platform to clasp their arms together, "A partnership has been struck so we could find Loki."

"Litr." Helblinde corrected, voice just the bit growly.

Thor held back what he wanted to say.

"Who is Litr?" Fandral asked, low enough for only Thor to hear him.

"Loki."

That got a raised eyebrow.

"He is coming with me to find and retrieve Loki..." A rumble from the Frost Giant, "...you will be sending us where he indicates." Thor gave Helblinde a skeptical look, "However that works." Thor turned so his face could not be seen, "You will have to look for him. I do not trust whatever supposed 'blood' magic he has guiding him."

Fandral nodded subtly.

Thor stepped down, "Your move Jotunn."

Helblinde took a trinket from around his neck, a circle, stained with flecks of blood on a leather thong. Helblinde stepped closer to Fandral, bracing one foot on the platform. Fandral took a step back, Thor tensed, Helblinde scowled, "Be still Asgardian, I must touch this to your forehead."

Fandral looked to Thor for confirmation, Thor reluctantly nodded. He did not like it, not one bit--there was a small part of him that was terrified, scared this would actually work and what that meant if it did.

Helblinde touched it to Fandral's forehead, held by the thong and carefully not letting any bit of their skin touch. The pendant rested against Fandral's forehead and a light flashed quickly across his eyes. He sucked in a quick breath.

Thor tensed, ready to step in, but after only a few seconds Helblinde stepped back and Fandral shook himself, coming out of the trance-like state he had fallen into.

"Fandral."

The swordsman looked at Thor, nodded, "I am fine Thor, and I can get you to your brother."

That was great news and it should have made Thor feel elated, except there was just a horrible heaviness settling into his gut. Thor moved to stand beside the frost Giants Prince and only looked back at Fandral once before facing forward. He very purposely did not look at Helblinde.

A moment of stillness, then the rainbow bridge was activated again and they were traveling through space, on their way to retrieve his brother.

* * *

Pain. Struggling. An ice cold feeling settling into his bones. Anger; so much anger. Then the feeling of falling through the sky. the sound of wind whistling past. A voice, growling. "You will not take my brother from me again!" a horrible landing onto hard earth. Blood in his eyes. Then nothing.

* * *

Darcy was the one to hear it--which made no sense to Jane, because the girl had had her headphones in. One moment she was looking down at her music player and then the next second her head had snapped up and she yelled out sharply, "Stop!" Erik slammed on the brakes and the only thing that saved Jane from breaking open her skull was the seatbelt. Unfortunately, the same could not be said of Darcy, who flew off her perch in the back and slammed into the back of Erik's seat. "Oh my god! Darcy-"

The student was already moving though, not taking any time to take stalk of her possibly forming bruises. Darcy threw the van door open and jumped out into the dark desert.

Jane tried to jump after the girl, got pulled back, hurried to get the seatbelt off, clumsily got out of the van and lurched in the direction Darcy had run off to. It was hard to see in the darkness, there was no moon and Darcy always wore dark clothing.

"Darcy!"

"Over here!" The girls voice called out, not as far as Jane feared she would be. Jane rushed to where her voice came from. Darcy's outline slowly came into focus and Janes eyes adjusted to the dark.

Darcy was kneeling on the ground, in front of her was... was a facedown body! Oh God! Jane darted forward, hands skimming over the body until she found their neck and where there should be a pulse.

It took forever, it seemed, for the little beating to start and keep going, but when it did Jane sagged. Oh, thank god, they were okay, oh thank god Jane had not touched a dead body, thank god they did not have to deal with the aftermath of finding a dead body.

Then Jane turned to Darcy, checked her over, "Are you okay? You hit your shoulder hard, is it sore?"

Darcy waved her hands away, "I head a thump. He's really cold Jane."

Jane checked and found that Darcy was right and vaguely thought her two fingers had kept the cold after she had checked the pulse.

"We have to get him to the hospital.

Jane turned, "Erik!"

* * *

A week later the man was still unconscious and Jane and/or Darcy had been to see him everyday. Erik just shook his head at them, because they did their duty and they should go back to focusing one hundred percent of themselves to their research. Every time they had come back though, he had asked how the mystery man was.

When they had first seen his face in the light, all the blood had freaked Jane out, but Darcy had handled it all like a champ, wiping away dried blood and demanding every jacket and blanket. They had rushed to the hospital, watched the blonde man get wheeled away, and then answered all the questions the local law officers had seen fit to ask. Luckily, they were well known at this point, having been in the town for almost a year of a five-year study grant.

The man had had no identification on him and had been wearing the weirdest set of clothes. "A LARP gone wrong." Darcy had muttered.

Darcy had accompanied Jane to visit the stranger on the eighth day, dragging her to buy food to take with them when they passed the diner. So, they were eating poutines with burgers when it happened. Jane had a mouthful of burger when she looked up and found foggy, bleary blue eyes watching her. She froze, mouth full, burger dripping every topping that typically went on a burger, and stared back. Then a loud, long, rumble tore the moment to a stop and Darcy, who had spotted the open eyes a little after Jane, burst into uncontrollable laughter. Jane choked on her food, after almost spitting it out, tried to stop the resulting coughing fit and swallow her food so she could call a nurse. Darcy had to leap forward to save Jane being murdered via burger. She slapped Jane's back, once, hard, and Jane coughed and the food went flying forward, right onto mystery man's face. They all stilled, Jane from horror and Darcy from shock.

The blonde man blinked, scrunched up his face and managed to croak, "How thoughtful of you my lady. Unfortunately, I must decline and insist you keep your own food for yourself."

The women had different reactions. Darcy burst into hysterical laughter and Jane lurched up and to the door yelling for a nurse.

* * *

The nurse only managed to ask enough questions to confirm that he had absolutely no memory aside from his name. Thor. No last name, just Thor, just the name of some random deity that didn't exist. The nurses put it on his paperwork anyway, but with quotation marks. This had only further convinced Darcy about her LARPing Gone Wrong theory. After the nurse had left for the doctor, he had asked for food, but had fallen asleep before the doctor could arrive.

Jane and Darcy went back to their place a little more exhausted than usual, from the excitement most of which had been Darcy's. Erik was looking at graphs when they got back writing down results (because that's what makes it science! Jane heard Darcy’s voice say in an upbeat voice in her head) and rubbing at his forehead. He heard the door open and called out, "So, did he wake up?" He asked it like it was just a habit now.

“Yeah and Jane puked all over him.” Darcy recounted happily.

“That’s nice.” Erik did a double take. “What.”

Jane turned, face heating up.

Darcy dragged a chair over where Erik was sitting and proceeded to retell it all in great embarrassing detail. Jane just left them to it and got lost in her work.

* * *

They stayed away for two days, much to Darcy's consternation, who lamented to Jane that they had to go back so Role-player Guy would not forget them, because obviously his memory has proven itself to be untrustworthy. Jane and Erik had just given him something to do and given her looks. On the third day though Jane gave in and accompanied Darcy along to the hospital two hours before visiting hours were over.

Jane hesitated at the door, holding the small plant she had gotten at the gift shop. Darcy squeezed right past her and walked into the room, "Hey, you're awake!"

"Darcy!" Jane knocked on the door and walked into the room. There was a curtain blocking right from the door, so he would not have been able to see them standing there.

He was sitting up, looking at Darcy like she was the most amusement he had gotten all day. Jane could believe that to be true.

"Hello."

Which brought his attention to her, "Hello, I was told that you two visited me often while I was recovering. Thank you for that; and thank you for finding me also."

Jane shrugged, "It was Darcy who really saved you. She got up to stop and searched and found you herself."

His attention turned to Darcy again, who had sat down on the chair closest to his bed. She shrugged, "I just heard a thump."

"Thank you nonetheless, for saving me from whatever would have happened if you had not found me."

Darcy shrugged, “Probably eaten by wildlife."

"Darcy!" Jane admonished; eyes wide.

He laughed.

Darcy looked immensely pleased with herself.

Jane gave her friend one more admonishing look (not that it would do any good) and placed the plant on the bedside table, "Brought you a Get Well Soon present."

Nobody said anything for an awkward few seconds, then-"So, what were you doing in the middle of the desert?"

"Darcy!" Jane didn't even bother trying to put any real discipline in that one, because the girl was going to ask what she wanted. Jane rubbed her hand over her eyes.

Darcy widened hers innocently and gestured with her hands, "What? We're all thinking it."

The man on the cot, eyes scrunched, "It's all right Lady um..."

"Oh, Jane." Her cheeks heated up.

Darcy waggled her eyebrows, "Oohh, lady." She winked at Jane.

He huffed out a small laugh, "I... Have no idea what I was doing out there or how I ended up injured.

The only fact I remember is my name. Thor."

Jane nodded, "It's nice to meet you Thor, I'm Jane Foster." She held out her hand. Thor looked confused, but slowly held out his own hand, mirroring Janes hand. She gently held it and shook, "Hello."

He looked right at her and smiled, his grip became surer, "Greetings Jane Foster, thank you for the plant and helping to save me."

Jane cleared her throat, look away and nodded quickly. Her hand was clammy, she wiped it off on her sweater when they let go of each others hand.

Jane caught Darcy's eyes with hers, and the younger girl did the wiggly thing with her eyebrows again. Quickly, Jane went to sit down in the other chair, ignoring her ridiculous grad student.

Darcy grinned at her, then scooted the chair closer to the bed and propped her elbows on the bed, then rested her head on her propped hands. "So, you really don't remember anything? Does the term LARPing mean anything to you?" By the end she was leaning so close she was completely off the chair.

"No..." Thor looked at Jane questioningly. Jane just shrugged. "But... I think I am looking for someone..."

"A girlfriend? Is this your quest?"

"Darcy, drop the LARPing conspiracy."

"I will when I am given concrete evidence that I am wrong."

For the rest of the visit Darcy talked Thor's ear off; about how much blood was covering his head when they found him and they thought he was dead; about the police and all the questions they had been asked; and how much Darcy had enjoyed actually being a suspect in his almost murder; about what she was doing in a town in the middle of nowhere. The talk of their work interested him greatly, so she talked in length about it. Until they were shooed out by the nurse, Darcy rambled on and on.

* * *

They were visiting every day again pretty soon, Darcy always chattering away about anything and everything. Darcy and Thor would say a few words to each other, nice things that would have Darcy humming the wedding march under her breath where Jane could very clearly hear her.

It was during one of their rare conversations that Thor made an offhand comment about a rainbow bridge that Jane's scientific mind was peaked. She had been talking about how, the night they had found him, they had been chasing weird energy signatures and then he had commented about how weird their travel was.

"What do you mean?" She thought he was talking about their busted-up van for a second and how the whole back of it was just their equipment. Maybe he had woken up and seen a few glimpses inside when they had rushed him to the hospital in it.

Thor had shrugged, both amused and confused, at himself and her. "I do not know, just the rainbow bridge is easier and quicker. Especially, when you have to go form realm to realm."

"Realm... to... realm..."

That had led to some very in-depth questions that had tipped all of her 'close-to-a-breakthrough' alarms off. Jane ordered Thor not to mention any of what they had talked about to any of the staff at the hospital. Or to say anything weird. Then Jane thought about it and changed it all to; "do not say anything to anybody." and when he had asked why, she explained asylums, and loony bins and being imprisoned for 'his own good'.

Her and Darcy left, and as soon as they were back with Erik she exploded with words.

Erik looked skeptical and worried by the time she was done, looking at him and Darcy afterward with her arms held out.

"We need to get him out and jog his memory.:

Erik stared at her tight-lipped, Darcy looked thoughtful, which usually would worry Jane in this context.

"So, we need to steal a coma patient form the hospital. Who may actually be the Asgardian God of Thunder."

Except for now. Now it worked for her.

Erik opened his mouth, closed it, shut his eyes, rubbed his right hand over his face and started to sound suspiciously like, "...managed to finally corrupt her." and also, "...only sane one left..."

Jane tended to do a thing though, where she fell down a rabbit hole and could not find her way out of it unless she followed one path.

She turned to face only Darcy, Erik would be no help in this matter she could see, "They won't let him out unless he remembers who he is. The truth will only get him locked up."

Darcy grinned and leapt up from the chair to get right into Jane's face, "Are we breaking a possible-Asgardian god out of the hospital and keeping him?" She asked excitedly, eyes lit up with far too much excitement. Almost manic and worrying really. Jane ignored it and pulled Darcy aside to start plotting. Erik was left mumbling about how he did not come out to an out of nowhere town for this kind of nonsense. Jane and Darcy ignored him.

* * *

Jane and Darcy spent two days coming up with a new identity and back story for their possible Thunder God and were even about to start trying to make fake ID's.

Erik walked by when they were starting on that part of the plan, and managed to talk them down. By reasoning with Jane and by threatening Darcy's grade.

Darcy would probably never forgive Erik for taking this opportunity away from her. She had said as much.

The third day, they walked to the hospital, fully armed with a notebook containing all details about the made-up persona of Thomas Kaedan, an accountant who weightlifted in his free time and was part of a LARPing group who favored Viking culture. He lived in New York City and rented a single bedroom apartment and was an only child, whose parents had passed a few years ago. His birthday was June 17th and he was thirty-one years old.

They were both very proud of themselves.

Jane felt shifty when they walked into the hospital, but kept getting distracted from it because Darcy kept poking her and telling her to relax a few times. Darcy just looked excited and was bouncing as she walked.

They checked in at the nurse’s station, which was just them waving at the nurse on duty so they knew they were seen, and just kept walking by. Luckily, for them Thor was awake when they walked in. Jane resisted the urge, the very strong urge, to look behind their backs. Thor smiled when he saw them, he was flipping through the channels.

Darcy jumped right on the hospital bed, thankfully not on Thor, grinned widely, "How much do you want to escape this place?"

Thor smirked, "Going to save me again Darcy?"

"Oh yeah, big guy, we're going to save you big time."

* * *

They made up the couch for him, because it was the only surface available for it.

Turns out he only needed his name and where he lived to sign out. So, Thor signed out and came to stay with them.

everything fascinated him, from when he first walked out and acted like everything was so fascinating. Like he had never seen a vehicle before or American cash or computers.

Every reaction only made Jane's suspicions stronger and her hope for her theory grow larger. Darcy still thought their amnesiac was a D&D player that knew too much and had to be silenced.

She fixed a sheet to the cushions and placed the pillow and laid out the blanket.

Jane turned to face Thor, who had been watching and gestured weakly to the improvised bed, "There you go, home sweet sleep." Jane turned so he couldn't see her face and moved to the kitchen area, unable to believe she had actually said that.

"Thank you. You are all very kind to take me in."

Jane shrugged it off, "It's no problem at all."

Thor stepped forward, so he was standing right in front of her and waited until she was looking up at him. Jane couldn't quite meet his eyes, because, God, this was embarrassing and she very much did not want to think about why it was so embarrassing. She really hoped Darcy did not walk in on this (or find out about it by some other--possible arcane means).

"No, truly, thank you Jane Foster. You have taken me in and offered your help, when you have no reason at all to do so. I am in your debt. If there is any task, I am able to aid you and Darcy and Dr. Selvig in, you all have it."

Jane tried to shake it off again and laughed, "You make us sound far more selfless than we are in this. The truth is you can help us with something. But only if you want to, it's completely up to you-"

Thor interrupted her rambling gently, but the gentleness did not detract from his seriousness at all. "This is a life debt. I will help you with anything. Truly, Jane."

She met his eyes, stared into them, gulped. He stared back and she noticed how kind his eyes were, how much taller he was than her. She thought she might be moving closer, but then Erik walked in, "Jane, I pulled up the data from-" He stopped, stared at where she had jumped a good five feet away, almost falling over the couch, "Are you okay?"

"Fine!" she said, "Just fine. Good night Thor." She rushed out, face flaming. Oh god, please don't let Darcy find out, please, please, please.

* * *

It took a bit of time for Thor to find his place amongst them all, but eventually even Erik became fond of their big oaf. Thor could keep up with their 'shop' talk, but he tended to use it in terms and phrases unfamiliar to them.

Its peaked Erik's curiosity and just further convinced Jane she was right and someway he was the key to possibly all of her questions.

They had to jog his memory though, because then eh would be able to answer her questions.

Darcy was trying to make him her new best friend and Thor was very happily complying and now had a good manicure.

Almost two weeks into his stay with them, their growing like all of one another increased. Then, one morning, they were intruded upon by an alien.

* * *

Thor only knew a few things for sure; his name, which to everybody was the most unbelievable fact about it for some reason; he knew he did not belong here, and not just 'here' this town, Thor did not belong on this realm; and he knew he was looking for someone who was very important to him and that, that person, was in possibly a large amount of danger.

Thor appreciated what all Jane Foster, Darcy Lewis and Erik Selvig, and enjoyed his time with them and helping with their research, the urge did not leave. The urgency did not leave, it only became more consuming and kept him up at night. It made him frustrated, because he couldn't look for what he could not remember. Jane had suggested meditation, which the lively Darcy Lewis had decided to join him in. She was also teaching him yoga. She insisted on filming that with her phone.

Then, when he did sleep, there were dreams, images he could not make sense of and faces he knew he recognized them, he just did not know who they were. It added to his grumpiness. Jane was good at it all. It was just happening so slow though and he just knew he needed to find the person now.

Then one morning, Thor was woken by Darcy yelling a warrior cry and then a buzzing sound.

* * *

Jane jerked awake when she heard Darcy yell incoherently and then soon after, Darcy yelled, "Take that you trespassing motherfucker!"

She jumped out of bed and ran out to the living room, where Erik was also, with a lamp raised, ready to hit someone and Thor had a murderous expression. then he looked extremely proud and amused. Jane also felt pride take over when she saw Darcy standing over a prone, twitching figure with her taser. Darcy was still swearing and crowing triumphantly over the prone man's body.

Erik lowered the lamp and rubbed his eyes, "Why was I even worried?" he muttered.

Jane started to relax, but then Darcy yelped and dashed behind Thor. Jane's eyes widened. The man on the floor was turning blue. And... growing.

Huh.

* * *

Thor's eyes widened, brain freezing at what he was seeing, because there was no way at all what he was seeing was actually what he was seeing. Blue skin. Giant. Why was he not as shocked as he felt he might of should have been?

It felt like a tug at the back of his mind, looking at the giant blue man(?) on the floor.

"What the fuck."

Thor very much agreed with Erik. What the fuck.

"Holy shit on a artichoke with berry dip sauce."

They all turned to Darcy.

"What?"

She shrugged, "That's how surprised I am."

Thor held up his arm, where Darcy was peaking out from behind him, to keep her from getting closer. When he took a step closer to get a better look at his face. Darcy followed and Thor stopped. He looked back at her, raised an eyebrow, but all she did was nod at him and gesture forward, then say, "Don't worry I gotcher back."

"Darcy." Thor started, but was interrupted by her poking him in the back.

"Go forth Thunder God But Not Really."

They all rolled their eyes, yet another nickname she had given him. This one was her favourite though.

Thor returned his full attention to the body, "He looks..."

Familiar.

"I know him." Thor said, almost involuntarily, the words just falling out as he stared at the blue giant on the ground.

Then the thing groaned and started to wake up. Erik swore and stumbled back, brandishing the lamp again. Jane quickly backed up against the wall, eyes widening and face going pale. Darcy tried to get a closer look. Thor scowled and brought her back with him, keeping himself between the blue giant and Darcy.

The blue giants eyes opened and it--he? they? what?-- levered themselves up and kneeled, looking them all over.

The place Thor had been allowed to stay in was certainly spacious, it was an open area where the kitchen, living area and dining area were all one. The ceiling was only about nine feet and was not enough room at all for the giant to stand comfortably.

Then the eyes, hard and red with black pupils, landed on Thor and stayed there.

"Odinson." He growled, annoyed and angry sounding.

Tension built, the giant crouched and barred his teeth, beginning to growl.

"Who?" Darcy asked, drawing its attention.

Shit, Thor thought.

* * *

Byleistr. It's--his!-- name was Byleistr, which sounded so fictional and fantastical that Jane was very tempted to start looking for a camera crew and demanding to know why they would prank them like this. Byleistr was a frost giant from Johtenheim who had been sent to search for Thor Odinson.

There had been arguing and yelling between them, when Byleistr had threatened to kill Thor for abandoning their agreement and his warriors would now die for his dishonor and then he, himself, would be killed. At which point Darcy--because it always has to be Darcy--butted in and started arguing with the Goddamn Frost Giant! All three of them had tried to shut her up. Of course, they failed. Of course, Darcy actually managed to convince him that Thor really did have no memory at all, besides who he was.

Now here they all were, Darcy between Jane and Erik so Jane could pinch her when she tried to talk, watching Byleistr do something to Thor to help return his memories with... magic. Thor had believed it easily enough.

While the magic part had made Erik and Jane sceptical(even though they were looking at a giant blue man with skin cold enough to cause almost instant frost bit); the magic part was not what had made him sceptical. It had been because he didn't trust who was offering.

There he was though, being... magicked into... healthiness. Jane looked around. She would be able to tell if there were any secret cameras, right?

The frost giants closed eyes were tense, mouth frowning. His hands were up with Thor's head between them and there was a glow, coming from an adornment that looked like bone, held in his right hand.

It had been almost an hour. Darcy had gotten up and was munching on a sandwich, having gotten bored.

The glow faded, they all perked up and Byleistr's arms lowered, he opened his eyes and they all waited.

Thor opened his eyes and he looked different, which made no sense, but was true. Then he looked at the kneeling giant, scowled, hauled back and punched him.

"What the fairy fuck!" Darcy shouted.

They all surged to their feet and hurriedly backed off as Thor tackled Byleistr and a fight started.

* * *

Surprisingly, things calmed down fast, mostly because of the accusations they yelled at each other and because Thor was worried about hurting his friends. They managed to begin talking normally, clearing up why Thor was here and not looking for Loki. There was reluctance to believe the bit about Helblinde. Just as a peace was coming closer to being reached between them, a bright light blinded them from outside. When it faded, Thor turned to see what it was and found his Father standing there, in all his armor. Then it all just went horribly wrong.

* * *

Odin declared Loki dead, despite Thor's arguments and accusations. When the funeral was held, Thor did not attend it. He refused to believe it, even when Heimdall recovered enough to look for himself and told Thor that he could find no sign of the Trickster God, Thor did not believe it. Loki was not dead and he would find him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a long one, I'm proud of myself, not so much of the ending of the chapter, but I take responsibility for my laziness. I hoped you all enjoyed this chapter and had a good time reading it.  
> The next chapter will be more encompassing of what is happening with the rest of the world and will be called First Attack, and will be where the portals that Loki was so concerned with come into play  
> Yours truly,  
> ~DR.SKL

**Author's Note:**

> Big, huge, ginormaous, shoutout to IBegToDreamAndDiffer, because they are the one that got me started reading IronFrost in the first place with their own amazing fanfics(Also, Hannigram, which just... oh my god yes, I watch the show because I love the ship and I love the ship because they wrote fanfics for the ship). So, I'm gifting this work to them,(and if they read this and don't like that it's gifted to them because of some reason, just tell me and I will immediately fix that part).  
> Always yours, my fellow readers,  
> ~DR.SKL


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